Choose me
by Disco Shop Girl
Summary: Fashion week was supposed to put her back on top with the girls at school and instead, Blair's night has crashed and burned. Dismissed by her mother and then dropped by Serena. But the night isn't over, and she really needs a little happiness right now. Set Post 2x05 The Serena also rises.


The elevator doors ominously parted to reveal the Van der Bass apartment and Blair looked out very cautiously. She didn't let herself think about what she was about to do. All her energy was being channelled into not crying, and then putting one foot in front of the other. She stepped out of the elevator and immediately rounded the corner, not bothering to check if anyone was in the kitchen. Luckily her flight through the living room and down the hallway went unnoticed.

Without hesitating she pressed open the foreboding door and slipped inside.

Chuck was standing by the window staring out over the city, a glass of scotch in his hand. It seemed it hadn't been a good night for him either. He missed the sound of her footsteps but did hear his door click open.

"Go away Serena," he tiredly dismissed, not bothering to turn around.

His angry words made her hesitate for a moment, but she'd made it this far and that kept her walking. He didn't get a say in this, her night had already been bad enough and she wouldn't deny herself this one comfort. She'd been without it long enough and she was sick of waiting, yearning.

Like she owned this room she single-mindedly strode across the floor, flinging her purse onto his bed as she passed and stepping out of her shoes until the plush white carpet peaked up between her bright red toes.

Chuck stiffened in surprise when a pair of loving hands slid around on his chest, and a person, shorter than Serena, pressed steadfastly against his back. He sucked in a hopeful breath, disbelieving as the weight of her forehead touched his spine and in that moment he knew it was Blair fiercely wrapping her arms around his torso.

Before he could get a word out Blair cut him off with a desperate whisper of "Don't say anything."

He didn't. Wondering if this was a dream, perhaps he'd drunk more than he remembered and passed out.

He felt her cheek come to rest in defeat between his shoulder blades and knew it was real.

"I've had a horrible night and I just need you to be you."

Blair pressed her nose into his spine and inhaled deeply. He smelled like a bar – disgusting smoke and alcohol. But she shut her eyes tight and lost herself in him anyway. Because he was calming, soothing. And the last time she'd been anywhere near happy, she was right here against him.

"I need to be with someone I love."

Chuck looked down at his torso and the perfect long fingers resting against him in disbelief. Yesterday she was livid with him, accused him of being unable to keep even a single friend, and now this? The words he'd tried to drag out of her until a fortnight ago? His own night had been pretty shocking: dismissed by his father, jailed for brawling over a non-hooker, fooled by Dan Humphrey – of all people! There was a game he was playing with Blair, and he hadn't predicted this move. But he was emotionally strung out and a timeout was incredibly appealing.

Then there were the words. She'd said them. Now that he'd effectively won, he didn't know what to say.

Casually, he reached over and placed his half-empty glass of scotch on the windowsill. Then he slowly lifted his hands to those of the crushed girl wrapped around him. Finally, he let himself take advantage of the brief respite. He was a little hesitant, scared after so many false starts that this couldn't possibly be the salvation he was desperate for.

Slowly he lifted his arms to rest over hers. He was ever so cautious as he tested covering her hands with his own, just to make sure she didn't disappear. The touch of his hand encouraged Blair to cuddle closer, and sucked in a gloriously tortured breath. Was this really happening? Slowly he inclined his head back to feel her nuzzle up against his cheek.

"The designs at fashion week must have been atrocious," he huskily quipped, still throwing up barriers, making her vulnerable because he couldn't believe he was this lucky.

Terrified to let her know how much he wanted this.

She didn't move away. Neither did he.

In fact she laughed without mirth – the saddest little chuckle he'd ever heard. For once in his life he felt like there might be a chance he could one day be the strong patriarch, the one in charge who held everything together. He squeezed her delicate fingers in his own hands then slowly took the risk and turned around.

Blair didn't move away. And when he lifted his head a little, just so he could rest his chin on the crown of her head and tuck her in closer to him, she slipped her arms around him and squeezed fistfuls of his shirt.

Without effort he made her feel human again. She relaxed, even in her melancholy, and rested her ear against his chest.

"Everybody chose Serena," she finally spoke again. "My mother managed to choose both Serena and Jenny Humphrey over me."

His hands drifted down, found the very soft curves he hadn't caressed in months and pulled back just a little, to look her in the eye. To silently say what he couldn't yet voice. Not _everybody _chose Serena.

Or Jenny Humphrey. Chuck's eyes narrowed. Humphreys again. Now there was a family that needed dealing with. It wasn't even a purposeful movement, but he found himself unthinkingly kissing the crown of her dark head, offering unspoken reassurance through his understated affection. Someone wanted _her _much much more than Serena or Jenny Humphrey. Him.

She may have disappointed her mother for an evening but he had just the thing to make her feel better. Something for them both to revel in – planning. A take down. Revenge. No crime felt as good as perpetrating it with his favourite partner and then revelling in the after-glow.

"Dan Humphrey tried to use me as the subject of his next whiny story," he seethed. "I have some Humphrey vengeance planned for the morning. If you care join me."

Unbeknownst to him Blair's face slowly widened into a wicked grin against his chest. What he did feel was her arms tightening around him, squeezing him.

"That would be wonderful," she sighed, quite the happy little sound considering her anger.

Smiles tried to stay hidden on both their faces as they found a knowing heart and devious mind in the other – just the balm their wounded souls were looking for. Of course neither could say that out loud. So for a time they stood there, soaking in the others presence. After a little silence she quietly admitted to something she'd never voiced.

"My parents had a fight about who I'd live with after the divorce. And my mother lost."

"My father wishes I'd died instead of my mother."

The maudlin pair stood there for a while, wallowing. Yet not. Because they were with each other. As he focused on the soft rise and fall of Blair's back against his hands, it slowly occurred to him why she'd come _here._

For all their back and forth, parry and thrust, he knew exactly what to say.

"I choose you," he came clean, not daring to look down lest he meet her eyes and expose himself for the weakling he truly was. "I've never wanted anything, as much as I want you."

Blair's eyes widened, unable to believe what she'd just heard. To be sure, she replayed the words in her mind. Finally, she pulled back a little, her confidence bolstered enough to look him in the eye for the first time that night.

Chuck Bass had uttered words she'd been trying to get out of him for weeks. She looked directly into his face but his dark honey eyes refused to meet hers, were focused on the hair feathering her shoulders. It didn't matter – that first step he'd taken was enough.

She gathered all her shattered confidence and reached up on her toes.

"No one has ever made me feel like you do," she shared her secret against his ear. Without another moment's pause she turned her head and pressed her lips to his. Smiling as she felt Chuck's utter shock. While he moved to open his lips she uttered "I choose you too."

Serena squinted and then glared as she came down the stairs to breakfast. Blair was sitting on one of the bar stools, happily sucking a straw in a glass full of some whipped fruit concoction.

"If you're here to apologise, just save it," she snapped at her friend.

Blair looked up, only surprised for a moment before one of her angelic smiles came into place. The kind that hinted at truly malevolent words percolating in her mind. The kind that Serena Van der Woodsen with all the glory of her charmed life had no defence against.

It was a _kind_ of apology that had her sitting in this apartment for breakfast. But it certainly wasn't an apology for Serena.

"Oh I disagree," a smarmy voice came from behind the pillar.

Serena's eyes widened in horrified disbelief as her stepbrother emerged from nowhere. Sauntered to her ex-best-friend's side. Slipped his silk-clad arm around Blair's waist. Then kissed her proffered cheek.

"Don't save it," came the contradiction, his lips lingering. "Give it up to me as easily as you have been for the last twelve hours," he purred.

His dark eyes locked with Blair's meaningfully. A disgusted "Ew!" deliberately left Serena's lips while Blair's hand reached up and lovingly caressed Chuck's cheek.

"Just who gave it up to who is up for debate," she smugly flung back.

"I'll tell you what else could be up," Chuck retorted.

This time he spun her stool and stepped between her legs. Embraced her in both his arms and wouldn't let her gaze go.

"I thought I tired it out," Blair cheekily responded.

"Never," he sincerely promised.

Blair threaded her fingers in his dark messy hair, yanked his head forward and crushed their pouting lips together.

Serena angrily pushed past them, deliberately knocking them apart.

"Blair don't you have somewhere else to be? A mother to disappoint? Jenny Humphrey's shadow to cower in?" Serena was in full bitch mode this morning and did her best to hit all Blair's trigger buttons.

Chuck, however, had already helped put those minor issues into perspective last night. And again this morning.

"My love," he crooned into her ear. "We _do_ have plans today. The Humphreys?"

His nose ran up the outside of her neck as he reminded her. Blair sighed, trembled, then let her own smile spread and loosely crossed her ankles behind his thighs.

"That's right," she remembered, stroking her thumbs down the edge of his face. "How could I forget? You distracted me."

"You distracted me," he corrected.

Serena made a gagging noise at the refrigerator. Interrupting them was _not _a good idea. Both dark sets of eyes turned on her, shooting her matching looks of disapproval.

"Careful Sis," Chuck warningly cut her off. "Lily doesn't yet know about _all _the fun you had with Poppy Lifton last night but I'd be happy to enlighten her."

Serena froze, horrified.

"How can you –"

"We have sources," Blair jumped down off her stool, smiling sweetly. Her attention moved to Chuck as she asked "any gifts for me hidden away in your room? I'd rather not do the walk of shame."

Chuck took her hand and lifted it to his lips.

"_Nothing _we did last night was shameful," Blair's eyes perceptively widened at his statement.

More so when Chuck's hand found the silk of the robe she'd stolen from his closet earlier. He caressed the flare of her hip then tangled his fingers in the belt and tugged it lightly. Only enough to make it slip, not bare his freshly reacquainted girl naked in the living room. "I may have a dress or two waiting for you," he conceded.

Revealing that yes, he still thought about her, bought presents for her, _waited _for her even though they were apart. Blair broke out into a smug, expectant grin, and covered his hand. Only to draw the wicked fingers closer to the part in her robe. Even across the room, Serena could hear the whispered question

"Waiting to take off me?"

"Mmmm," Chuck throatily agreed, placing his lips beneath her jaw and kissing lightly.

Sucking in the delectable scent at her throat. Now both his hands found her dainty waist and pressed in close to her. Blair's eyelids fluttered, her chin lifting as he caressed her. Looked at her with those deadly seductive eyes. Before last night she could almost resist them, but now… His thumb brushed her sensitive inner elbow.

"The Humphreys can wait another day," she hurriedly gasped. The fired up brunette daintily loosened one of his hands and entwined it with her own. She gave a tug to encourage him to follow her back to his bedroom. Not that he needed encouraging. "We're not finished making up."

Chuck paused before taking one step. Then one more. Then following her like a lost love-struck puppy. He caught up to her, sliding his arm over her shoulders and leaning in close to whisper "There is one particular dress I'd like to see you in. Briefly."

"Dress?" Blair cocked an eyebrow knowingly. Querying his use of the term.

Chuck slid his hands onto her flat belly and pressed up behind her.

"It does have a limited audience. You would get a little – _chilly _– if you wore it outside."

Blair cupped his jaw and their mouths met eagerly over the curve of her shoulder.

"I'm sure you can provide enough body heat to keep me warm."

Chuck's hands slid between the parted robe and Blair's gasp was incredibly audible. As was her visible shudder in his arms.

"Did you miss my heat when we were apart?"

"God yes," slipped out of Blair unchecked.

Then she broke away. Caught his hand up in her own and practically dragged him into his bedroom before he could even find his feet. The door slammed hard behind them, followed by the audible thud of a body being pushed up against it.

"You guys are disgusting!" Serena yelled after them.


End file.
